


Happily (N)ever After

by CloversDreams



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Amnesia Spell, But also not, Emotional Hurt, Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Theres also fluff, because im not a monster, finral is too trusting, langris is up to no good, little bro is big antagonist, this isn’t some brotherly reconciliation fic, zora makes a heartbreaking decision
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 09:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20721635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: Few things sickened Langris as did the thought of his older brother being considered better than him at anything. Studies, extracurricular activities, magic… it didn’t matter. He knew that he was the best and refused to accept losing to that guy. That was why it had really rubbed him the wrong way when word reached him that Finral was seeing someone.Langris’ curiosity got the better of him and he actually checked up on the situation. Not himself, of course, but through others and careful information gathering. What he discovered was shocking to say the least. Not only was his idiot brother dating a man, which wasn’t expected considering how he usually chased after women, but the guy was a lowly commoner.Leave it to Finral to have such deplorable taste. It was like he was trying to bring as much shame as possible to their family name as he could while he dragged it through the mud. This was unacceptable. Langris wouldn't have it. He’d put an end to this mess once and for all, whether Finral liked it or not.





	Happily (N)ever After

Few things sickened Langris as did the thought of his older brother being considered better than him at anything. Studies, extracurricular activities, magic… it didn’t matter. He knew that he was the best and refused to accept losing to _that guy_. That was why it had really rubbed him the wrong way when word reached him that Finral was seeing someone.

Who gave him the right? Anyone with an ounce of logic in their brain knew that if Langris didn’t have anyone special on his arm his brother shouldn’t either. It certainly didn’t help matters that anyone _he’d_ ever be with would be for the sake of their family’s name. It really rubbed him the wrong way that Finral thought he could ever have anything different. There was no reason that the family loser should have freedom to choose when it came to such an important thing.

At the same time, Langris knew all too well just what a failure Finral was. His brother would never be able to make a relationship with another human being work. He simply wasn’t capable. It was only a matter of time before he did something stupid and ruined it. Somehow that gave Langris a smug feeling of satisfaction. He looked forward to hearing the news of the breakup. Maybe he’d even stop by for a visit to gloat afterwards. That’d make his week at the very least.

Months went by and no such word arrived. Langris’ curiosity got the better of him and he actually checked up on the situation. Not himself, of course, but through others and careful information gathering. What he discovered was shocking to say the least. Not only was his idiot brother dating a man, which wasn’t expected considering how he usually chased after women, but the guy was a lowly commoner.

Leave it to Finral to have such deplorable taste. It was like he was trying to bring as much shame as possible to their family name as he could while he dragged it through the mud. Langris took some solace in the fact that the ridiculous fling of theirs wouldn’t last much longer. His brother would screw it up, like he did everything else in life. All he needed do was wait for his time to gloat.

Over half a year passed, and truthfully, Langris had pretty much forgotten about his brother’s nonsense. He’d been busy with his squad and respectable family members. Everything else, including the black sheep himself, had been pushed to the back burner. It wasn’t until he happened to spy Finral at a café in the capital one afternoon that he even remembered the whole relationship thing. Since it had been just shy of a year from when he'd heard the original news, surely that ridiculous ordeal was over and done with. Finral would’ve ruined or sabotaged that pathetic excuse for a relationship by now.

Langris took note of the fact that his brother was seated across from a pink haired woman. Ah, that woman must’ve been his attempted rebound. Once a failure, always a failure. He was satisfied by that and was ready to turn and leave when he heard the woman say something so shocking that he paused mid-step to listen.

“Oh my gosh, Finral, you’ve been talking about him non-stop. You’re still so smitten even after this long. You’d totally marry him right now if he asked!”

“I… absolutely _would_.” Finral blushed and then laughed nervously. He rubbed the back of his neck and asked, “Does that make me crazy?”

“Yes! Crazy in love!” The woman chirped.

Finral hid his face in his hands and shook his head. His voice cracked as he squeaked, “Vanessa, stop! That’s so embarrassing!”

“Love, love, you’re in love! You want to have his babies~” Vanessa chanted teasingly. She laughed loudly when he shrieked something about that being physically impossible.

Langris’ eye twitched and his blood began to boil. _Marriage_? Did he seriously just hear that? Was Finral even more of an idiot than he’d thought? It hardly seemed possible. He ground his teeth and stomped away from that café before he did something he’d regret. All he knew was that he absolutely refused to have a commoner bastard as a brother in law. He’d put an end to this mess once and for all, whether Finral liked it or not. Luckily for him, he knew just the shop to visit.

The place in question was located on the outskirts of the city in a dimly lit alley. It wasn’t somewhere one would expect to see a high-ranking member of a Magic Knight squad, never mind a person of noble blood. He didn’t care. Anyone that had a problem with him was welcome to say something. He’d gladly show them just how powerful his magic was. He marched towards the end of the alley until he reached one shop in particular. He stepped inside and was greeted with a nod from an old crone.

Langris held his chin in the air and declared, “Witch, I need a potion.”

“That’s what I’m here for as long as you’ve got means to pay,” The old woman replied. “If so, tell me what it is you seek.”

Langris gave her a smug look. He knew he looked as rich as he was and there was no need to confirm such a thing. He rolled his eyes then explained, “My idiot of a brother has fallen into a relationship that would shame our family. I want him to forget.”

“Forget the object of his affection, or the fact that they’re dating?” the witch asked. Her curious gaze stayed upon him as she awaited his response.

“All of it. I want him to completely forget they ever met,” Langris clarified. He knew that the tone of his voice showed his decision was final. She wouldn’t question him.

“A potion so complex, hmm. That’ll cost extra,” the witch replied.

Langris removed a small pouch from his belt. It jingled as he turned it upside down and dozens of golden coins fell onto the counter. He watched her greedy eyes widen at the sight then he smirked and said, “Money is clearly no issue. Give me what I want.”

The witch bowed her head respectfully then hummed, “It’ll be just a few minutes, sir. Something this potent needs to be made from scratch.”

“Get to it then. I need this to work properly the first time. I won’t get a second chance.” Langris shooed her away. He crossed his arms as he waited. Now all he had to do was figure out the best and least suspicious way to slip the potion to his idiot of a brother. The guy was so stinking desperate to please that it probably wouldn’t be any effort at all on his end. A malicious grin spread across his face and he bit back a laugh. This was going to be all too easy.

♧

Zora dug through his pocket when his communication item chimed. He answered it only to smile when he recognized his boyfriend’s voice on the other end. That happened more often than not whenever Finral was involved. Vaguely aware of the time, Zora offered a quick, “Good morning.”

“Morning! Sorry I missed you before you left.” Finral’s voice sounded as cheery as ever from the other end.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Zora assured him. “This stupid mission was the ‘get up and go’ kind. Didn’t even have breakfast first. What you up to?”

“On my way to a café in the capital, actually. You’ll never guess who invited me out for tea.” Finral’s tone just begged him to actually try and guess. As usual, he was being adorable first thing in the morning. It was nearly too much.

“It certainly wasn’t me,” Zora teased.

Finral chuckled at his response. One could hear the smile in his voice as he chirped, “It was Langris of all people!”

There was a pause as Zora grinded his teeth at the mention of that guy. He didn’t speak badly of him for Finral’s sake, but he sure as shit thought badly of him. Loudly and often. He pursed his lips together in order to keep from saying anything he’d regret. There was only one person he’d ever do such a thing for. His boyfriend didn’t even realize what lengths he went to in order to keep him happy. If Zora had his way, he’d never know. He’d just keep smiling that heartwarming smile of his.

“Zora? Still there?” Finral asked.

“Be careful.” It was all he could manage to say that wouldn’t be dripping with his unsolicited opinion about the situation. Zora might not have felt so opposed to it if he could go, or at least set some precautionary traps on Finral for the trip. Though that would’ve ended up being a headache too. His distrust for that guy was smothered by the insane way that Finral held tightly to his brotherly love for him. If you asked Zora, that whole family needed a wake up call. He’d be glad to give it to them if he could guarantee it wouldn’t upset his boyfriend.

“I know. I will. All right, he’s here, I gotta go.”

Zora shut his eyes and said, “Call me back after your little family reunion.”

“Will do. See you for dinner later,” Finral paused. The shy smile that spread across his face could be heard in his voice as he sighed dreamily, “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” _A lot more than I could possibly express with mere words._ Zora shut then pocketed the device. That was exactly why the whole situation left a bad taste in his mouth. Langris wasn’t one to be trusted but Finral had blinders on when it came to his little brother. There was something fishy going on and Zora didn’t like it one bit. Now he had a whole day of worrying ahead of himself until he could finally wrap his arms around his boyfriend again. Just great.

Zora tapped his foot impatiently and bit the inside of his cheek. It wasn’t like Finral to be late. What the heck was keeping him? It certainly didn’t help ease his anxious spike knowing that the guy hadn’t called him back earlier. Logically, he knew there could’ve been a hundred and one valid reasons for that. Of course his mind only wanted to think about the worst possible ones. He’d been going stir crazy back at the HQ, which was why he finally said screw it and headed into the capital. He’d just wait at the restaurant where they were going to meet for dinner instead.

So there he was, outside of the place where they were supposed to have their date. He leaned against the wall near the entrance and crossed his arms. He was painfully aware of the time since the building across from him happened to have a clock in the window. Lucky him. An hour passed, then two. It was well into the third when he finally heard a familiar laugh. There was a moment when he swore his heart stopped right before he looked up from where he’d been attempting to burn a hole in the ground with his glare.

His brain wasn’t sure how to comprehend the sight before himself. Finral– his _boyfriend_– was laughing it up and being incredibly flirty with a random group of women. Zora was too shocked to react. He hadn’t acted this way since back before they’d started dating. If it was some sort of joke, Zora certainly didn’t get it. He watched the lot of them walk over to the door then gasp when they noticed him glaring.

Curious, purple eyes looked him over without even a hint of recognition in them. They widened when they zeroed in on his robe. Finral smiled and tilted his head. He offered up a cheery greeting. “Hey there. Are you a new member of the Black Bulls? Haven’t seen you around. I’m a senior member of that squad too. Name’s Finral, nice to meet you.”

Zora couldn’t do anything but blink at him. What the fuck was happening? OK, if this really was a joke it had gone too far. Part of him already knew this wasn’t in jest. He could feel it in his gut. There was no familiarity in those purple eyes he adored. The affection he’d grown to expect in them had ceased to be. It was just like looking at a complete stranger. His brain had already registered what his heart prayed wasn’t true and his mouth had gone dry.

“Not much of a talker, huh?” Finral teased. He motioned towards the restaurant then winked and said, “We're headed in for some drinks. You can join us if you’d like... what did you say your name was?”

“…Zora.”

Finral smiled and shut his eyes then tilted his head as he replied, “I hope we can be friends, Zora. Let’s work hard as Magic Knights and give our squad a good name.”

A brunette wearing a yellow sundress draped herself across Finral's shoulders shamelessly. Zora’s heart sank as he watched the guy blush and then take her hand so he could kiss the back of her fingers. Zora felt like he’d just been stabbed through the chest with a searing hot blade. Everything he witnessed just confirmed what he feared. She was uninterested in their conversation as she turned and hummed right next to his ear, “Can we get those drinks now, mister Magic Knight? I’m in a mood.”

“Yeah, sure, sorry for the wait!” Finral turned and opened the door. He held it for them as he said, “Head on in, ladies.”

Zora watched Finral spare him one last glance before he disappeared into the building as well. Once the door shut his legs gave out. It was a miracle that they hadn’t before that moment. He sat on the ground with his back against the wall and shook his head. After spending the day worrying himself sick, he’d thought he’d been prepared for the worst. He hadn’t.

It felt like his heart was being squeezed in a vice grip. The air around him was nearly too thick to breathe. This couldn’t happen. He refused to accept it. Not tonight of all nights. The world may have been cruel, but this was just too much. Even Zora had his limit.

He’d just have to go to the source of this mess and fix it. He knew exactly where that’d be. That bastard was probably expecting him and he certainly wouldn’t disappoint. Zora frowned as he hurried away from that restaurant. He did his best to focus on his destination rather than the gold ring that bounced around in his pocket as he fled the scene.

While ten months together didn’t seem that long in the grand scheme of things, when you knew you _knew_. There wasn’t anyone else Zora would rather be with. Ever. He was positive they were meant to be together for the rest of their lives and he wanted to make it official. At least he'd planned on it. Tonight was _supposed_ to be his chance to ask Finral if he felt the same. The guy he'd just had a run-in with certainly wouldn’t feel anything of the sort. That hadn’t been his boyfriend. Zora swore under his breath and hurried over to that terminal where one could rent a broom for a price. It was steep, but he didn’t have time to care about that.

He arrived at the estate as quickly as he could. Zora didn’t even think before he started to bang on the ornate door and yell, “Langris! Get out here and explain yourself, bastard! Now!”

Zora continued to cause a ruckus so he couldn’t just be ignored. Eventually a single door opened just enough for the smirking jackass he was looking for to step outside. It was clear that the guy knew enough not to attack him outright. Evidently he remembered just how Zora’s magic worked. Pity. It would’ve been nice to see him struck by his own attack spell.

It took all the self-control Zora could muster not to punch him in his smug face. That look just oozed confidence in the fact that he couldn’t be touched, and it’d be a dream come true to prove otherwise. Instead he stomped right up to the guy and growled, “What did you do, you bastard?”

“Me? Whatever are you insinuating?” Langris asked with his best innocent smile. The way his eye twitched made it a lot less convincing.

Zora grabbed him by the collar and yanked him closer. There was fire in his eyes as he spat, “Don’t fuck with me right now. I _know_ you’re responsible for what’s wrong with Finral!”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be a bit more specific. There are lots of things wrong with my pathetic excuse for a brother.” Langris practically snickered.

“I’m talking about what you did to his memory!” Zora yelled. He was so tired of the runaround bullshit. It was time he got some answers.

Langris’ smile melted into a devious grin. He had a smug look in his eyes as he removed Zora’s hands from his robes. He dusted himself off then replied, “The magic took even faster than I’d hoped it would. Almost as if my brother _wanted_ to forget all about you.”

Zora gritted his teeth and growled, “Fix it or I swear I’ll–”

There was a detestable, wickedly amused look upon Langris’ face as he said, “Threaten me all you want, trash. There’s no fixing it.”

“Bullshit.”

“Do you have any understanding of memory magic at all?” Langris looked him over and was clearly unimpressed by what he saw. He had a cocky gleam in his eyes as he continued, “Probably not. I’d guess that a lowly commoner such as yourself never had to study it. Here’s the short version: if you try and tamper with what’s been done, the repercussions could be severe.”

“Meaning?” Zora spat.

“The mind is a hopelessly fragile thing. Something as simple as telling him you know one another, or that his memories had been tampered with, could cause his brain to reject reality as we know it.” Langris looked all too happy to explain this. He was clearly satisfied with how things had turned out.

“What?” Zora blinked a few times while his words sank in. That couldn’t be true. The guy was just trying to get inside is head.

A wild grin spread across Langris’ face and he said, “I can see that even _you_ know a body can’t live without a mind. Put simply, if you try and explain anything about your shared past to my brother, he could die.”

Zora shook his head. “If you think I’ll just sit back and accept this–”

“You have no choice but to do just that, _commoner_.” Langris cut him off. He spat the last word as if it tasted terrible on his tongue. He held his chin in the air defiantly and added, “Unless my brother’s life is really that meaningless in your eyes. In which case, be my guest and tell him absolutely everything so we can see what happens. Should be entertaining to say the least.”

Zora blinked in disbelief. This whole mess was absolutely pointless. It shouldn’t have happened. Especially not to Finral, who was the sweetest person he’d ever met. He deserved the world, not this kind of treatment. His brow knitted together as he frowned and asked, “Why… _how_ could you do something so cruel? Why couldn’t you just let him be happy?”

“The moral of this story is that trash like the two of you doesn’t get a happy ending. The elite, such as I, are the ones that rule this world… and our word is law.” Langris was clearly proud of himself. The feeling practically oozed from his pores. He turned his back to Zora and added, “That loser will _not_ bring even more shame upon this house. I refuse to sit idly by and watch as he drags the lot of us through the mud with his indecent cavorting.”

“You’re pathetic, you know that?” Zora growled through gritted teeth.

“And what does that make you?” Langris smoothed out his outfit then looked at him over his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes at the redhead and added, “So easily forgotten by the one person that was supposed to care about you above all others? Despicable. You’re yesterday’s trash, easily tossed aside.”

Zora clenched his hands into fists. It would be beyond satisfying to punch this jerk in the face. Part of him knew he’d just use that as fuel for his dumpster fire of a plan, so he grit his teeth instead. He stormed out of there, even more confused and upset than he’d been when he arrived. He couldn’t deal with this right now. He had to get back to the HQ. He quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and hurried away. He couldn’t let this guy see just how shaken up he was or let him onto the fact that he was about to throw up. He just needed to put as much space between the two of them as possible.

Zora didn’t sleep a wink that night. Every time he heard footsteps or voices outside of his bedroom he held his breath in the hopes that it was Finral coming to bed for the night. It never was. Tears pooled in his eyes. He hadn’t felt such an extreme sense of loss since he’d had to bury his father as a teenager. This was a totally different feeling. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to bear the pain in his chest.

He wandered into the common area early the next morning. Most of his squadmates were already there causing the usual amount of ruckus. Everything was the same as always. Life went on. Except for him. He took note of the fact that Finral wasn’t up yet. That was good for what he needed.

“Hey, you look even worse than normal,” Magna declared once he noticed Zora. The others turned to look at him. Magna held up a hand to silence the lot of them then asked, “You all right over there?”

Zora didn’t look at any of them as he explained the situation. God, it was so much worse to say it out loud. At least when he hadn’t done that he could let himself believe he’d had a nightmare. It was all so much more real now. He didn’t have to look at any of his squadmates to sense when their curious gazes turned to ones that were a mix of shock and disgust. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, “So I need you all to keep our former relationship a secret. He can’t ever know about it.”

Vanessa shook her head. She was clearly distraught about the information she’d just learned. She had tears in her eyes as she cried, “There must be something we can do. Anything. I’ve never seen Finral happier than when he was with you. I can’t just sit idly by and–”

“You can and _will_,” Zora snapped.

Vanessa looked like she was just about to burst into tears. Her voice was a shaky whisper as she asked, “But won’t you… _don’t_ you miss him?”

“Shut up! You can’t possibly understand how I feel! I don’t take this lightly at all!” Zora exclaimed. There was no way she could know just how much he hurt because of this decision. It was something he might never recover from but it had to be done. He didn’t need her to rub salt in his already bleeding wound. He fucking knew it sucked. He _knew_. He had no goddamn choice.

“But Zora…” Vanessa whimpered.

“If his mind rejects the memory magic because of outside tampering, such as someone trying to undo it or explain what happened to him, the consequences could be unbearable,” Zora explained through gritted teeth.

“Like what?” Yami asked. He took a drag off his cigarette and exhaled the smoke slowly. He’d been silently watching this whole ordeal play out. If he had an opinion about the situation he kept it to himself.

“If rejection occurs, he could go into a state of shock then die.” Zora clenched his fists. He shook his head and said, “I appreciate you all wanting to help, and I know Finral would too. In the end it doesn’t matter what the two of us had together. It’s not worth risking his life just to try and get it back.”

“You sure about that?” Yami asked.

“Yes.” Zora hated how certain he sounded.

Vanessa frowned and shook her head. She clenched her fists and muttered, “So you’re just-”

Finral walked into the common area. He smiled as he greeted all the squadmembers that turned to look at him. As soon as his gaze fell upon Zora his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak but didn’t get the chance.

“On my way out for another stupid mission, yeah.” Zora didn’t look at anyone as he headed towards the front door. He only paused to declare, “Remember what I said, you jerks.” Then he left, before anyone could say a word.

Zora thought the worst pain he’d ever possibly feel was that of losing his father. He could now say it was nothing compared to what it was like to watch the person he loved move on with life as if their relationship never happened. Zora felt like he was stuck in place as the world around him continued to move. No matter what, he just couldn’t seem to get unstuck. It was the worst kind of torture.

Even worse was the fact that Finral seemed wary of him. He was clearly uncomfortable when they were in the same room, no matter who else was around. If they made eye-contact Finral was quick to look away. They didn’t have many conversations, not that Zora even knew what they’d talk about if they did. It was nearly too much just being around him and unable to hold him like he used to.

That was why he’d done his best to avoid the guy. Zora hated it. He hated a lot of things. Most of all a certain holier-than-thou noble that caused this mess. In the end he found himself riddled with doubt and awful feelings he wanted nothing to do with. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. He’d always known that Finral deserved better than him. He deserved someone that could give him anything his heart desired. Heck, he deserved someone that would bring honor to the family name. Someone he could start a family with. Zora truly believed this. Finral deserved to find happiness. Even if that meant he’d end up with some noble woman his parents introduced him too.

Zora, on the other hand, didn’t deserve anything of the sort. He was better off alone. It’d been that way most of his life. There was a time when he used to let his anger fuel his every move. Lately he found himself relating to that again. While he liked how he’d changed as a person since meeting Finral and the others, it all seemed so pointless these days. There wasn’t anything holding him back from seething in his rage.

He began to withdraw from squad activities. While he’d gotten a lot friendlier with them over the past year, he found himself falling back into his old ways. No longer was the group ‘we’. It was split into ‘them’ and ‘him’. He’d started to slip back into old habits. He worked solo missions, preferring the ones that were at odd hours or took him away from the HQ for days at a time. No matter how far away or how long a mission lasted, they never did anything to dull the constant ache in his chest. This was just his life now.

When he was all alone he’d flip flop between rage and sadness. He couldn’t decide on which one he was supposed to feel. Sometimes he’d fiddle with the ring he’d never gotten to give to Finral. He’d even talk to it as if it were his ex. It seemed like such a pointless thing to cling to, yet he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. To be so attached to a silly piece of jewelry that no one would ever wear… ridiculous.

He’d zone out as his mind wandered to the good times they’d shared. His eyes would fall shut as the sound of Finral’s laughter echoed in his head. He found himself nearly on the verge of tears when he pictured that shy little smile Finral always wore when he said ‘I love you’… something he’d never hear him say again.

Zora squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He absolutely couldn’t take any more of this. These past two months had been the worst of his life and he’d finally reached his breaking point. There was only one thing left for him to do.

  
♧  


  
“_What do you mean Zora quit?!”_ The shocked exclamation which was a mix of many voices at once sounded through the Black Bulls common room.

“People can’t just quit being Magic Knights!” Asta shrieked.

Yami simply blinked at his indignant squad. When it was clear that they wouldn’t leave him alone without explanation, he shut his eyes and elaborated. “He waltzed in here, tossed his robe onto the ground, said ‘I quit’, then left. I think it was pretty clear he’s not coming back.”

“Do you even know why he left today of all days!” Vanessa exclaimed.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Yami shrugged.

“Captain, that’s cold-hearted even for you!” Magna yelled.

Finral frowned to himself as his squadmates started to argue all around him. His stomach was in the worst knot. He felt just terrible. He couldn’t even explain why, but this felt like it was his fault. It wasn’t the usual anxiety spike, either. Something about this really bothered him. No one even noticed as he slipped away from the group. Why would they? Yelling over one another about something out of their control was top priority right now.

He wandered around aimlessly outside. He was such a confused mess. Things were weird at best between him and Zora. For whatever reason they just never clicked and became friends like he’d hoped they would. As he let his feet carry him wherever they pleased he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d done something wrong. There really wasn’t any other reason for him to feel so bad.

Finral stopped walking when he noticed flower petals on the ground. He looked up to see he’d wandered into a lovely place. Everywhere he looked he saw beautiful, blooming trees. It was breathtaking. In the middle of all the loveliness was a single bench. To his complete surprise, a familiar redhead sat upon it. He couldn’t tell what Zora was holding up towards the sun but it was small and shiny. For some reason his formerly upset stomach felt completely at ease now. Curious. Finral found that he wanted to know more. He couldn’t help but step closer until he could hear the redhead’s voice.

Zora had a somber expression on his face as he sighed, “Happy anniversary, I guess.”

“Who’re you talking to?” Finral asked. He walked over to the bench and tilted his head as he waited.

Zora turned towards him and looked momentarily surprised. That quickly faded. He looked away from him and squeezed his hand shut then sighed, “No one. Just mourning a loss.”

“Mind if I sit?” Finral motioned towards the free spot on the bench.

“Do what you want.” Zora shrugged.

It wasn’t the most welcoming response, but it also wasn’t a no. Finral sat down and looked all around them. The branches of the trees seemed to dance every time the wind blew. Delicate flower petals detached with each new breeze and floated all around them. It really was lovely. His voice was soft when he finally hummed, “This place is really nice.”

“It’s where my ex and I had our first date,” Zora replied without looking at him. His voice was barely above a whisper as he added, “Our final interaction, as well.”

“Didn’t picture you as much of a dater,” Finral admitted. He watched the redhead carefully out of the corner of his eye. Part of him expected to get a reaction after such a statement. It was wrong.

“I wasn’t. Not before him.” Zora sighed.

“Where is he now?” Finral asked before he could do anything to stop himself. A split second later he wondered if that crossed a line. There was a pained look in Zora’s eyes that made him queasy to see. His poor stomach had that horrid knot in it again.

Zora’s gaze fell to the ground and he muttered, “He’s forgotten all about me and moved on with his life. Something I don’t have the luxury of doing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Finral whispered.

“Yeah.”

There wasn’t really anything else Finral could think to say. Instead he just sat there and continued to admire their surroundings. Zora didn’t seem to mind, which was a relief. He wasn’t sure how many minutes had gone by before he finally had the urge to speak his mind. He really hoped it didn’t make him sound too self-centered. “Zora, you didn’t…I mean…not to sound conceited but… I couldn’t help but think uh… you didn’t quit the squad because of me, did you?”

Zora gave a non-committal shrug. He didn’t bother to look at Finral as he replied, “So what if I did? You’re clearly not comfortable with me around.”

At least he was honest, Finral supposed. Though that only made him feel even worse. The guy didn’t know the whole story and had clearly misread what was happening. Finral realized that had probably been really easy to do with how he’d been acting. He bowed his head and muttered, “Y-yeah… but it’s not… in a bad way.”

Zora glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He wouldn’t ask. If Finral wanted to offer up the information on his own, then he’d listen. Otherwise he’d let it go.

Finral set his hands in his lap and twiddled his thumbs nervously. He didn’t know what made him want to admit this but he couldn’t seem to stop himself as he said, “I know it doesn’t make any sense but being around you feels different than being around the others. Like, with the rest of the squad, I love them all like family. But with you I…”

“Don’t even like me, yeah, I know.” Zora’s gaze returned to the ground and he nodded.

Finral shook his head. He looked lost in his own thoughts for a moment before he finally said, “That’s not it. There’s something about you that just feels so familiar. Your presence is soothing to me in a way that’s different than the others. It was a bit off putting at first since we just met a few months ago and all that.”

He thought he heard Zora make a sound so he turned and looked at him. He was met with the redhead doing the same. Finral watched as a single tear dripped from his right eye, glided down his cheek, then onto his mask. He didn’t even think about it when he reached up then wiped it away. He searched the blue eyes that were trained on him as he asked, “Why does my chest hurt so much when you look this sad? Just what are you to me, Zora?”

“Absolutely nothing.” It wasn’t a lie. Zora turned his head away from him.

“I don’t believe you.” Finral’s declaration was soft yet stern. He put his hand on Zora’s cheek and pulled his head back towards him. A breeze blew and flower petals leaped from the trees then danced all around them. Neither of them noticed. They were both lost in whatever emotion they saw in each other’s eyes. Finral leaned in just a bit, his body clearly acting of its own accord.

“What are you doing…” Zora asked softly. His gaze fell to Finral’s lips and he made no effort to move away.

“I have no idea,” Finral whispered right back. He paused when merely a hair’s breadth away and added, “but it feels right.”

When he wasn’t met with any protest, he leaned forward just a bit more. He pressed his lips against Zora’s and an odd sensation washed over him. It wasn’t kissing through the mask that was odd, in fact that felt strangely familiar. The sensation within him was something warm, something he knew… and yet it was something just out of reach. He had an odd feeling within him that knew that whatever the mysterious sensation was, it was vital. He needed it. There was a sharp pain in his head and he pulled away. He scrunched his face as he rubbed the sore spot, but it only seemed to worsen.

“Are you all right! Hey!”

Zora’s voice sounded so far away as well as a bit panicked. Finral did his best to focus on it but he found himself unable to. He slumped forward and fell against the redhead. He heard more panicked yelling, but he couldn’t make out the words. The world around him gradually got darker as the sounds faded. Zora wrapped his arms around him and held tightly. It was nice. Finral didn’t know what was happening, but something told him he shouldn’t fight it. There was something so cathartic about the darkness he found himself settling into. Finral shut his eyes and gave himself completely over to it.

Finral’s eyes snapped open and he sat up as straight as possible. He blinked while the world around him came into focus. He certainly hadn’t expected to see a familiar redhead of all people. He scrunched his face then looked around and asked, “Zora? Where’d Langris go?”

“What?” Zora looked shaken by the question.

“He was just here, and we were having tea and–” He stopped abruptly when he noticed his surroundings. They weren’t at the café at all, this was his and Zora’s special place near the Black Bulls HQ. His confusion was written all over his face as he asked, “Uhh… how’d I get here? Did I sleep through our dinner date or something? Am I in the process of making it up to you because I’m such a romantic?”

Tears flowed from Zora’s eyes in a steady stream. He grabbed Finral’s face with both hands and kissed all over it. He could barely control the quiver in his voice as he exclaimed, “That was two months ago, dummy!”

“W-what! How is that p-possible!” It was harder than one might’ve thought to talk while being kissed frantically. He wasn’t sure he could be any more confused.

Zora shook his head. He paused his affectionate assault and leaned his forehead against Finral’s then shut his eyes and said, “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re you.”

“Is everything all right?” Finral had to ask. While he was all for being on the receiving end of a little affection, this sure was confusing.

“It will be. I promise.” Zora reached into his pocket. He removed the object he’d kept on his person for the last two months then let out a shaky sigh. “There’s something I didn’t get the chance to ask you back then.”

“Zora, what’s going on? Why are you crying?” Finral couldn’t make sense of the situation at all. He looked down at the redhead’s hand then gasped. In the middle of his palm was a shining, gold ring. His heart fluttered in his chest. Oh my god. His jaw dropped and he couldn’t even blink.

“I know I’m nowhere near good enough for you, and your family would never approve,” Zora paused. That wasn’t the best way to start this but he’d already said it so he had to commit. He gulped then added, “heck we don’t actually have to go through with the whole ceremony thing… but I was hoping you’d at least wear it.”

Finral’s bottom lip trembled as he muttered, “Zora… are you saying what I think you’re saying…”

“I’m saying I want you to marry me.”

It was Finral’s turn to tear up. Like he really gave a shit what his family thought? They’d given up on him years ago. There was only one person worthy of his undying affection these days. He did his best to hold back the waterworks as he smiled and said, “I don’t just want to wear it. I want to live it. I’m all in.”

Zora’s eyes widened. “You mean it’s a–”

“Yes! A thousand times yes!” Finral exclaimed with a smile. There was no stopping the happy tears now.

Zora slipped the ring onto his finger then wrapped his arms around him and squeezed. He buried his face in Finral’s neck and muttered some nonsense about how if this was a dream he hoped he never woke up. His voice was shaky and his trembling beyond noticeable, but he didn’t care.

Finral didn’t know what he’d missed lately. All he knew was that his boyfriend– make that _fiancé_– needed some comfort and he was more than happy to provide. He could be filled in on all the other details later. For now, he wrapped his arms around the redhead and pet his hair as he hummed, “I love you, Zora.”

“Say it again.” Zora mumbled against his neck. He placed a sweet kiss there afterwards.

“I love you.” Finral repeated. He’d gladly say it as many times as Zora wanted him too, and then some, every single day.

“I love you, I love you, I love you…” Zora’s soft mutters vibrated against his fiancé’s neck.

Finral smiled as he hugged him tighter. For some reason it felt like it’d been a really long time since their last embrace. Well, he’d just have to hold onto him until the feeling passed, no matter how long it took. They did have the rest of their lives, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> True love’s kiss breaks any curse yee. We been knew.
> 
> I’m so happy everything finally worked out for them. Time for a honeymooooon :3
> 
> Theyll continue to live at the HQ since theyre Magic Knights and alll that, but theyll also get a vacation home together! A perfect little place just for the two of them to have their lovey-dovey moments TuT <3
> 
> Since Im sure someone out there wants to know... Langris gets a JUST MARRIED announcement. No other info. He’s not welcome at the BB HQ after that latest stunt so he cant just show up and raise hell. If and when the two of them see each other again will be on Finral’s terms.


End file.
